Mechanism for placing elongated articles in a folded strip of packing material



Nov. 2, 1965 H. GRAM MECHANISM FOR PLACING ELONGATED ARTICLES IN AFOLDED STRIP 0F PACKING MATERIAL Filed NOV 8, 1962 INVENTOR. 762717$United States Patent 3,214,885 MECHANISM FOR PLACING ELONGATED AR-TICLES IN A FOLDED STRIP OF PACKING MATERIAL Hans Gram, Vojens, Denmark,assignor to Brodrene Gram A/ S, Vojens, Denmark Filed Nov. 8, 1962, Ser.No. 236,207 Claims priority, application Denmark, Dec. 12, 1961, 4,960/61 3 Claims. '(Cl. 53-191) This invention relates to a mechanism for usein ma chines for the packing of elongated articles such as ice lollies,and more particularly to a mechanism for placing elongated articles in afolded strip of packing material, said mechanism comprising a guidinggroove for supporting and guiding a folded strip of packing materialsubjected to intermittent feeding motion along said guiding groove,means for supplying an elongated article to the groove formed by saidfolded strip of packing material in a position substantiallyperpendicular to the bottom of said folded strip of packing material,and a guiding member for subsequently tilting an article thus sup pliedin controlled manner to a position longitudinally of said folded stripof packing material along the bottom thereof.

In experiments, on which the present invention is based, it has beenfound that in a mechanism of the type described an article, after havingbeen supplied to the folded strip of packing material, is likely to skidor slide along the bottom of the folded strip of packing material duringthe subsequent tilting motion so that the article will not be correctlyplaced in the folded strip of packing material. The reason for this isthat for hygienic reasons the said guide member by means of which thetilting motion is controlled cannot be constructed in such a manner asto firmly grip or hold the article during the said tilting motion sothat the position of the article will mainly be determined by thefrictional engagement between the bottom end of the article and thebottom of the folded strip of packing material, which frictionalengagement may easily fail during the tilting motion.

It is the object of the invention to devise a simple and reliablemechanism of the type referred to which does not suffer from the abovementioned drawback. With this object in view, according to theinvention, the said guiding groove is provided with a recess at theposition where the article is supplied to the folded strip of packingmaterial. Owing to this arrangement, the articles, when supplied to thebottom of the folded strip of pack ing material will make a depressiontherein so that the bottom end of the article is prevented from skiddingor sliding relative to the bottom of the strip of packing materialwhereby the tilting movement will take place about an axis of rotationdetermined by the point of engagement of the article in the saiddepression, and the tilted article will therefore accurately assume apredetermined position relative to the folded strip of packing material.

The invention will now be further described with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 shows a section through one form ofa mechanism according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1.

In the drawing, 1 is a strip of packing material which is folded to anapproximate U-shape. The strip 1 is fed forward intermittently in aguiding groove 2 of U-shaped cross section by means not illustrated inthe drawing. It will be understood that the mechanism illustrated isintended for use as part of a packing machine which in other respectsmay be of any conventional or other suita "ice ble design, e.g. of thegeneral type referred to in an application filed concurrently herewith.As an example, the packing machine may comprise the folding mechanism ofthe type described in my said application filed concurrently herewith,and sealing and feeding means of the type described in my US. copendingapplication Serial No. 236,208, filed on November 8, 1962. However, themechanism according to the invention may also be used for other purposesand in other combinations.

In the example illustrated in the drawing, 4 represents an elongatedarticle such as an ice lolly that has been supplied to the bottom of thefolded strip of packing material 1. The ice lolly 4 is shown in theposition which it assumes immediately after having been released e.g.from a clamping jaw 11 forming part of a conveyor, not illustrated,which is adapted to move ice lollies successively to a positionvertically above the folded strip of packing material 1, and then torelease the ice lollies, thereby permitting them to drop on to thebottom of the folded strip of packing material. During this droppingmovement, the ice lolly passes through a guiding member 5 of rectangularshape, see FIG. 2. This guiding member must have a cross section greaterthan that of the biggest ice lolly for which the packing machine isintended since otherwise the guiding member would come into contact withthe ice lolly during the introduction of the latter into the foldedstrip of packing material which would be objectionable for hygienicreasons. A consequence of the excess dimensions of the guiding member isthat the ice lolly 4 when released in the position illustrated in FIG. 1will start tilting until its stick 6 strikes one of the sides of theguiding member. Owing to this small tilting movement, if no precautionswere taken, the bottom end of the ice lolly 4 might skid or sliderelative to the bottom of the folded strip of packing material, wherebythe ice lolly might become completely disengaged from the guiding memberso as to tumble down onto the bottom of the folded strip in anuncontrolled manner and in an uncontrolled position. This is veryundesirable since the ice lolly may be dislocated to such an extent asto prevent proper operation of the following parts of the packingmachine e.g. such that the ice lolly will be clamped between pressingand sealing members which are intended to engage the packing materialonly in the intervals between successive ice lollies.

However, owing to the provision of the recess 3 in the bottom of theguiding groove 2, the tip of the ice lolly will make a small depressionin the bottom of the folded strip so that the tendency of the tip of theice lolly to slide relative to the bottom of the folded strip isreduced, and the stick 6 of the ice lolly will therefore remain inengagement with one of the sides of the guiding member 5.

The guiding member 5 is rigidly mounted on an arm 7 which is connectedwith a rocking mechanism, not illustrated, via a shaft 8. After the icelolly 4 ha been introduced through the guiding member 5 and brought intoposition with its tip resting against the bottom of the strip of packingmaterial, which is stationary in this phase of operation, the arm 7 isrotated about the axis of the shaft 8 whereby the end of the arm 7 willdescribe a circular are 9. At the same time, the ice lolly will rotateabout its bottom end or tip, while the upper end of the ice lolly istaken along by the guiding member 5, and the end of the stick of the icelolly will therefore describe a circular are denoted by referencecharacter It) in FIG. 1. At the position Where the two circular arcs 9and 10 intersect, the stick of the ice lolly will be released from thelower edge of the guiding member 5 and will drop onto the bottom of thefolded strip, thi movement being guided by a guiding plate 12. Duringthe first part of the movement, the ice lolly, whether at first incontact with one or the other side of the guiding member, will be tiltedin such a manner as to cause the stick of the ice lolly to rest againstthe inner side of the side Wall 5a of the guiding member, and it willtherefore be seen that the tilting of the ice lolly takes place in acompletely controlled manner in spite of the fact that the ice lolly isnot positively held during this movement.

It will be understood that the means by which the articles to be packedare introduced into the folded strip of packing material may beconstructed in many different Ways and may, if desired, comprise meanssuch as the clamping jaws 11 constructed to perform a downward movementwhen in position above the folded strip of packing material such as tolower the articles into position before releasing same. It will also beunderstood that the mechanism according to the invention may be usedwith advantage as a part of packing machines for packing elongatedarticles other than ice lollies.

I claim:

1. A mechanism for placing elongated articles in a folded strip ofpacking material, comprising mean defining a guiding groove forsupporting and guiding a folded strip of packing material subjected tointermittent feeding motion along said guiding groove, means forsupplying an elongated article to the groove formed by said folded stripof packing material in a position substantially perpendicular to thebottom of said folded strip of packing material, and a guiding memberfor subsequently tilting an article thus supplied in controlled mannerto a position longitudinally of said folded strip of packing materialalong the bottom thereof, said guiding groove being provided with arecess in the bottom thereof at the position where the article issupplied to the folded strip of packing material, and said recess havinga cross sectional area and a shape suitable for holding the lower end ofi the article to be packed against sliding relative to said folded stripof packing material.

2. A mechanism for placing elongated article in a folded strip ofpacking material, comprising means defining a guiding groove forsupporting and guiding a folded strip of packing material subjected tointermittent feeding motion along said guiding groove, a guiding memberlocated vertically above the bottom of said grove, said guiding memberhaving a horizontally disposed opening of a cross section larger thanthat of the articles to be packed, means for supplying an elongatedarticle in upright position through the opening of said guiding memberto the bottom of a folded strip of packing material supported on thebottom of said groove, said guiding member being constructed forsubsequently tilting an article thus supplied in a controlled manner toa position longitudinally of said folded strip of packing material alongthe bottom thereof, said guiding groove being provided with a recess inthe bottom thereof vertically below said guiding member, said recesshaving a cross sectional area and a shape suitable for holding the lowerend of the article to be packed against sliding relative to said foldedstrip of packing material.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2, in which the guiding member ismounted for tilting about a hori- Zontal transverse axis near the bottomof the guiding groove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,322,430 6/43Fay 53200X FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner.

TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Examiner.

1. A MECHANISM FOR PLACING ELONGATED ARTICLES IN A FOLDED STRIP OFPACKING MATERIAL, COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING A GUIDING GROOVE FORSUPPORTING AND GUIDING A FOLDED STRIP OF PACKING MATERIAL SUBJECTED TOINTERMITTENT FEEDING MOTION ALONG SAID GUIDING GROOVE, MEANS FORSUPPLYING AN ELONGATED ARTICLE TO THE GROOVE FORMED BY SAID FOLDED STRIPOF PACKING MATERIAL IN A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THEBOTTOM OF SAID FOLDED STRIP OF PACKING MATERIAL, AND A GUIDING MEMBERFOR SUBSEQUENTLY TILTING AN ARTICLE THUS SUPPLIED IN CONTROLLED MANNERTO A POSITION LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID FOLDED STRIP OF PACKING MATERIALALONG THE BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID GUIDING GROOVE BEING PROVIDED WITH ARECESS IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF AT THE POSITION WHERE THE ARTICLE ISSUPPLIED TO THE FOLDED STRIP OF PACKING MATERIAL, AND SAID RECESS HAVINGA CROSS SECTIONAL AREA AND A SHAPE SUITABLE FOR HOLDING THE LOWER END OFTHE ARTICLE TO BE PACKED AGAINST SLIDING RELATIVE TO SAID FOLDED STRIPOF PACKING MATERIAL.